How to Make a Perfect Smoothie {& 30 Delicious Smoothie Recipes}

Smoothies make a perfect healthy breakfast or snack.  Here's your ultimate guide on how to make a perfect smoothie every time, including a months worth of amazing smoothie recipes that will keep you feeling full and satisfied for hours.  

What's covered in this post:

• How to Make a Perfect Smoothie
• Smoothie Ingredients
• Smoothie Resources
• Smoothie Recipes

Smoothies are a great way to boost your daily intake of nutrients and minerals and the perfect staple to a healthy, well balanced diet.  But not all smoothies were created equal.  If you've been dumping ingredients into a blender and hoping for the best, only to be greeted with a sad, tasteless smoothie - this guide is for you.

Learn how to make the perfect smoothie, choose your own adventure with our extensive smoothie ingredient list, discover more tips and tricks in our resource list and bookmark some mouthwatering recipes for later.

How to make a perfect smoothie

Choose a good blender:

First things first - you need to get yourself a high performance blender.  If you're wanting to make great smoothies, it's important to invest in the right equipment.  Cheap crappy blenders = a chunky unappealing smoothie.

But never fear - a good blender doesn't have to break the bank.  We bought our Ninja Blender for around $100 (I love using the cup attachment for my smoothies).  Shop around and find the right blender for you.  This guide should help get you started.

Strike the right ratio:

Striking the right ratio is important when making a smoothie that you'll actually enjoy drinking.  I suggest this ratio as you're starting out:

• 1 cup milk 
• 1-2 cups fruit
• 1 tablespoon yoghurt
• Optional:
  • A handful of greens / vegetables
  • 1 tablespoon of smoothie boosters (see here for full list)

As you start to experiment, you can work to increase the amount of vegetables and decrease the amount of fruit to suit your tastes.  Do this process gradually to allow your tastebuds to adjust.

Choose ingredients you enjoy:

It might seem like a no brainer but when it comes to making a great smoothie, you need to choose ingredients that appeal to you.  Don't feel pressured to use an ingredient just because of its claimed health benefit.

If you can't stand almond milk, choose a milk you like.  If you hate kale, try another green instead.  And if you've never liked blueberries, don't make a blueberry smoothie.  Simple!

Freeze your fruit and vegetables:

Frozen fruit and vegetables help to make smoothies more thick and creamy, and having them on hand means you can enjoy a smoothie anytime.

You can buy pre-packaged frozen fruit and vegetables in the freezer aisle of your local supermarket if you're in a pinch, but I prefer to make my own.  It's a great way to reduce food waste and if you buy your favourite ingredients on sale, it works out to be a lot cheaper.

Tips for freezing your own fruit and vegetables

• Wash and remove inedible parts (including peels)
• Chop into bite-sized chunks.
• Optional - Flash freeze to prevent your ingredients from freezing in one lump together.
  • Spread the fruit and vegetable chunks onto a baking tray and put it in the freezer for approx. 1 hour.
  • Once chunks are frozen solid, put them in airtight containers or freezer bags
• Frozen fruit and vegetables will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Smoothie Ingredients

There are so many ingredient options when it comes to making a smoothie.  When you first start experimenting with smoothie combinations, try and choose ingredients that are familiar to you and stick to your favourite flavours.  There's no need to go and buy a bunch of expensive ingredients, especially all the ones listed below!

Stock your fridge with your favourite milk, freeze a small mixture of fruits and vegetables and pick one or two boosters from the list below like chia seeds or nut butter to have on hand.  You can then slowly start to build on your smoothie ingredients as you go.

Smoothie Boosters

Here's a few smoothie booster / add-in suggestions that you might like to consider throwing in your smoothie:

• Bee Pollen
• Cocoa or Cacao Powder
• Chia Seeds
• Cinnamon
• Collagen Powder
• Flaxseed
• Ginger
• Gogi Berries
• Maca Powder
• Nut Butters - Almond, Cashew,  Peanut, Sunflower etc
• Nuts - Almonds, Cashews, Hazelnuts, Pecans, Walnuts etc
• Protein Powder
• Rolled Oats
• Sweetener - Honey, Maple Syrup, Rice Malt / Brown Rice Syrup, Dates etc
• Turmeric

Smoothie Resources

Smoothie Making 101:

Nail the basics of smoothie making and you'll find yourself making better smoothies instantly.  Here's a few more resources with some helpful tips and tricks.

1. How to Boost Your Homemade Smoothie Game by The Washington Post
2. Smoothie Tips by Delish
3. How to Make Your Best Ever Smoothie by Bon Appetit

Smoothie Boosters and Add-Ins:

Not sure which smoothie booster is right for you?  Check out these guides that explain just what each ingredient can do for you.

1. Smoothie Booster Packs by Wholefully
2. The Top 10 Superfoods to Boost Your Smoothie by Simple Green Smoothies
3. Superfood Smoothie Boosters by Get Inspired Everyday
4. 7 Smoothie Boosters for Health and Weight Loss by Kayla Itsines

Mastering the Green Smoothie:

Green smoothies have gained popularity over the past few years and are a great way to increase your vegetable intake.  But without striking the right ratio you'll end up with a smoothie that tastes like grass clippings (or worse). Here's a few guides to get your green smoothie from meh to mmmmm.

1. How to Make a Perfect Green Smoothie by 100 Days of Real Food
2. How to Make a Green Smoothie by Super Healthy Kids
3. Green Smoothie 101 by Simple Green Smoothies
4. 14 Tips for Making the Perfect Green Smoothie by The Balanced Blonde

Ready in minutes and filled with fruits and vegetables, smoothies are great for as an on-the-go breakfast or a 3pm pick-me-up.  Whether you're running out the door or taking your time sipping at home, here's 30 smoothie recipes that will keep you feeling full and satisfied.

Smoothie Recipes

Fruit Smoothie Recipes:

New to the smoothie game?  Start with some of these delicious fruit-only smoothies.

1. Banana Chia Smoothie by Cook It Real Good
2. Tropical Pineapple Strawberry Swirl Smoothie by Peas & Crayons
3. Beet and Berry Smoothie by Salt and Lavender
4. Orange Mango Turmeric Smoothie by A Simple Palate
5. Mixed Berry Oat Smoothie by Sweet Caramel Sunday
6. Creamy Orange Coconut Smoothie by Occasionally Eggs

Green Smoothie Recipes:

Ready to start throwing some greens into your smoothies?  Here's some delicious mixes that nail the ratio to give you a tasty smoothie with zero grass taste!

1. The BEST Green Smoothie by Cook It Real Good
2. Tropical Mango Kale Smoothie by Peas and Crayons
3. Tropical Green Smoothie by The Belly Rules The Mind
4. My Favourite Green Smoothie by Eight Forest Lane
5. Peach Kiwi Green Smoothie by Happy Healthy Mama
6. Easy Green Smoothie by Wendy's Way to Health

Flavoured Smoothie Recipes:

Ready to start experimenting with more adventurous flavours?  Try these smoothies that are flavoured with chocolate, coffee and sweet potato.

1. Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie by Natalie's Health
2. Snickerdoodle Smoothie by A Cookie Named Desire
3. Vegan Chocolate Sweet Potato Milkshake by Rhian's Recipes
4. Healthy Coffee Smoothie by A Sweet Pea Chef
5. Healthy Chocolate Mocha Smoothie by Eating by Elaine
6. Chocolate Orange Protein Smoothie by The Lemon Bowl

Banana-Free Smoothie Recipes:

Bananas are ubiquitous with smoothies, but they aren't for everyone.  The great news is, you can still make a delicious and creamy smoothie that's 100% banana-free.  Get inspired by the recipes below.

1. Creamy Blueberry Breakfast Smoothie by The Honour System
2. Blueberry Spinach Breakfast Smoothie by Kristine's Kitchen Blog
3. Blueberry Avocado Protein Smoothie by Cook Nourish Bliss
4. Kale Apple Smoothie by A Virtual Vegan
5. Strawberry and Cream Oatmeal Smoothie by The Kitchen Paper
6. Creamy Paleo Chocolate Milkshake by Oatmeal With a Fork

Smoothie Bowl Recipes:

Smoothie bowls are just thicker smoothies that you eat with a spoon.  Top them with your favourite nuts and seeds for some extra crunch.  Here's some scrumptious smoothie bowls to get you started.

1. Strawberry Banana Smoothie Bowl by Cook It Real Good
2. Paleo Chocolate Sweet Potato Smoothie Bowl by Raia's Recipes
3. Fruit and Nut Smoothie Bowl by Easy Baby Meals
4. Chocolate Caramel Smoothie Bowl by 2 Cookin Mamas
5. Turmeric Golden Milk Smoothie Bowl by The Conscious Dietitian
6. Blueberry Smoothie Bowl by Shivani Loves Food

I hope you loved this ultimate guide to making a perfect smoothie and that you're feeling more encouraged to start experimenting and creating your own delicious smoothies.  Am I missing a delicious must-try smoothie recipe?  Let me know in the comments below!

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